Green Senator Nick McKim will move a motion in the Australian Senate calling on the Government to start reuniting families and partners who have been torn apart by the border closure.
In the notice for the motion, Sen McKim has called on the Government to “make holders of Prospective Marriage (Subclass 300) visas automatically exempt from Australia’s inbound travel ban, bringing this visa class into line with all other partner visa classes that are already exempt.”
He has also called on the Government to create a new criteria that would allow the granting of an exemption from the inbound travel ban for partners and dependent children on temporary visas separated from their onshore partner or parent by the border closure.
Australian international border has been closed for over 15 months leaving several families separated. However, the ban has not stopped the Government from granting Business Innovation and investment visas to more than 6,000 people.
Senator McKim says, “Holders of Business Innovation and investment visas are automatically exempt from Australia’s international travel ban. Over 6000 people have been granted this visa since the border closed without requiring any pre-existing ties to Australia.”
NRI Affairs News Desk